We’ve all heard of ukuleles that are made with popular woods such as Koa, Mahogany, Cedar and Spruce. But how about a ukulele made of Bamboo? No, I’m not making that up. Just ask Chuck Danford as the Bambukulele is his creation.

Chuck has been making custom ukes for awhile now, but is planning to focus his attention on Bamboo as a material of choice. He asked me if I might like to take a look at one of his latest instruments, a concert sized uke with a Bamboo top and Zebra wood sides. I didn’t have to think twice before I said sure! A few days later Mr. UPSman dropped it off on my front porch.

This isn’t going to be an actual instrument review, it’s just a heads-up to let you know about an up and coming luthier and show you all this unique ukulele.

The Bambukulele (it’s even fun to say…) is a real looker. The Bamboo top is a warm honey color with a very pretty grain.

Interesting through the body style bridge.

The Zebra wood sides and back are just plain gorgeous. Look at that pattern!

The top is bound in tortoise shell. Again, look at that Zebra wood…

Traditional peg style tuners.

The tuners on the instrument that Chuck sent me are made of Black plastic, which might make one think that they are cheaply made. Not so. These are violin style pegheads that are around $80 a set. They are very light weight and easy to use. I have preferred geared ‘ear’ style tuners in the past, but I really like these particular tuners. They are very smooth and don’t require tightening with a screwdriver to prevent slippage. They actually have 4:1 gears inside each shaft.

Bamboo peghead.

The Bambukulele is easy to play and has a nice tone to it. This particular instrument is only a few months old, so it’s going to get even better sounding as time progresses. Here’s a short sound sample to give you an idea of what this instrument sounds like.